


You Sped Away with My Heart

by kitty22803



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Eventual Romance, F/M, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-22
Updated: 2019-04-01
Packaged: 2019-04-06 08:00:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 5,254
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14052501
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kitty22803/pseuds/kitty22803
Summary: Imagine that Flashpoint was actual reality and not a horrible mistake that Barry made. Imagine that Barry and Iris were just meeting each for the first time. Imagine that there were no meta-humans, no powers, and no tragic deaths. This is that story.





	1. Strangers

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, future readers! This is my first story on Archive of Our Own, and it is also my first story for Flash. I hope you enjoy reading it!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two strangers, Barry Allen and Iris West, spot each other and can't seem to stop thinking about each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys! This is the very first chapter of my very first Flash fanfic (and it is also my first time posting on Archive of Our Own), so I hope it's not too bad!  
> On with the show!

Iris was sitting at her usual table at Jitters, working on her dissertation for her journalism class when he walked in. When she looked up at who had walked in, she saw the most adorable man ever to exist. He had a light sweater on, paired with some jeans and sneakers. He walked up to the counter and flashed a bright smile at the barista; the room was suddenly ten times brighter.

She heard him say faintly, "Bye, Kendra. I'll see you later."

Suddenly, someone was right next to her; it was her best friend and roommate, Linda Park.

"Girl, you are _so_ checking out that hot nerd. Get yourself together!" Linda declared.

"I am _not_ checking him out. I was spacing out, and that space just happened to be where he was," Iris said defensively.

"Oh, please. Besides, there's nothing wrong with sneaking a peek. In fact, I find his little sweater-wearing ass very enjoyable to look at. Maybe I'll take him for myself."

That earned her a little shove.

Iris warned her, "Shut up."

Linda raised her hands in defense. "Alright, alright! I'll stop."

Iris rolled her eyes. "Thank you. Now can you please let me get back to my dissertation?"

"Oh, stop being so hissy. I love you." Linda kissed her cheek quickly. "See you back at the apartment." With that, she left the coffee shop.

* * *

Barry needed some coffee, preferably Jitters coffee. It was a great joint with great coffee, and the baristas were always patient, unlike some others that he had met before. However, the main reason he always went to Jitters was because the beautiful girl who was always there at that little coffee table in the corner: Iris.

He had noticed her a few weeks back. It was two in the morning; he was working late at the CCPD and had to make a quick coffee run. She had sat there with her laptop, eyebrows furrowed in concentration. He had thought at that time that she was the most beautiful woman that he had ever laid eyes on.

That very next day, she had been there again, working diligently, her long, elegant fingers flying across her keyboard.

That next day, there was another girl. He had seen her before at the precinct; she was Linda Park, a reporter from Central City News. That's when Barry found out the name of that stunning woman he couldn't seem to take his eyes off of.

Ever since then, Barry had kept on coming back, always trying to catch a glimpse of her. He hoped she would notice him; one day, she did.

She was sitting at her usual table when he walked in. He quickly ordered a coffee from his favorite barista, Kendra, and thanked her. That's when he felt a pair of eyes following him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her staring at him. He pretended not to notice and quickly grabbed his coffee before she could see the blush slowly spreading to his cheeks.

A voice interrupted his thoughts. "Are you ever going to ask her out?" Kendra asked.

"Who?" Barry pretended to be confused.

"You know who I'm talking about: Iris. You're clearly interested. Just go for it!"

"She literally just seemed to have noticed me. She probably thinks I'm too nerdy or something."

"Oh, come on, Barry, be a man and talk to her!"

He quickly shook his head. "I can't. Anyway, bye, Kendra. I'll see you later."

He rushed out the door.

* * *

The two strangers hadn't even realized it yet, but their relationship had begun from the moment that Barry walked into Jitters and saw Iris.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How was it? I've been thinking about writing this story for a long time, and it's finally come to life. It's my first time writing a full story like this (I usually write one-shots on FanFiction), so please leave comments to let me know how I'm doing. Constructive criticism is appreciated!  
> ~kitty22803


	2. Liquid Courage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry and Iris finally meet each other, but not in the way they expected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise you that the chapter title is very misleading. Don't assume anything.  
> On with the show!

It was another late night, and Barry was doing his work in his lab, trying to finish up the last few reports before going home. He sighed. If he could just get a small break from the workload, he would be a much happier man.  _I'll get some food,_ he thought to himself,  _maybe then I'll actually be able to do this._ He got up and grabbed his sweater before heading out the door. He walked to Big Belly Burger, his favorite place to eat some comfort food.

That's when he saw her again: Iris. She had her laptop with her, as usual, and she was working on a burger, some fries, and a milkshake, all while scanning the multiple pieces of paper strewn in front of her. She was beautiful; her hair was thrown into a messy bun, she was in her sweats, and she had on black glasses with white speckles on them.

Barry quickly drew his eyes away from her.  _Focus, Barry,_ he told himself.

He quickly went up to the counter and ordered a regular burger with a side of fries, wanting to leave before she noticed him. He waited impatiently for a long five minutes as they prepared his burger. He tapped his foot repeatedly against the floor. Finally, his burger arrived; however, before he could leave, something solid collided into him.

* * *

Iris was exhausted. She had been working for at least ten hours, only stopping long enough to get some food from Big Belly Burger. All she wanted to do was go home, but she couldn't do that since she had a deadline for an important article the next day. With this in mind, she pushed through, no matter how much her eyelids drooped and burned from staring at her laptop for so long.

Then, finally, she was done. She was free to crash all day and never move from her bed. She got up, her head spinning. She closed her eyes for one very peaceful second, and sighed. Suddenly, her face connected with a wall, and her milkshake splashed all over it.

When she opened her eyes to inspect the damage, though, she was mortified to discover that the wall, in fact, wasn't a wall at all. Instead, she was faced with the very familiar sweater-wearing man that she had spotted so many times at Jitters.

"Oh, my god. I am  _so_ sorry! I wasn't looking where I was going, and I haven't gotten much sleep today. Or this week. Or this month. Really, these past few months. Oh, god, I need to shut up. I'm, uh... I'll get napkins." Iris was rambling.

She rushed off, her face burning. She came back with a handful of napkins and began to wipe down his sweater.

"I'll pay for damages. How much is it? It's not cashmere, is it? Oh, no." She was hyperventilating. "This is really nice sweater, too, and it's really unfortunate that I was stupid and spilled--"

The man then grabbed her shoulders.

"Hey. Breathe. It's okay. It's just a sweater."

His voice was sweet, caring, and Iris could just listen to him talk all day.

"Oh, um... I'm sorry."

He laughed. He had a really melodious laugh.

 _Iris, get yourself together,_ Iris told herself.

He snapped her out of her thoughts by saying, "By the way, I'm Barry. Barry Allen. And you are?" Barry Allen. It fit.

* * *

Iris had been freaking out over spilling her milkshake over him, but Barry didn't really care. It's like some force had pushed them together and given him a chance to finally be a man and talk to her. He had pretended to not know her name, and he introduced himself.

She responded, "Uh... Iris. Iris West. Once again, I am  _so_ sorry."

"Hey, it's okay. A sweater can always be replaced."

"Oh. Um..." She didn't say anything else.

Then, Barry took a huge leap of faith and asked, "Hey, uh... you wanna get a milkshake? To make up for this one?" He gestured to his stained sweater.

"Oh! Yeah, sure. Why not? It's on me, though, because I killed your sweater."

He laughed. "It's a deal."

* * *

So, their friendship began with a shared milkshake at three in the morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, thank you so much for all the positive responses I got to the first chapter! I appreciate it so much! Also, in case you didn't get why I made the chapter title what it is, it's because the milkshake (which is a liquid, if you're weird and you don't know) gave them both courage to finally interact with each other. Anyway, I'm probably going to post another chapter soon, so stay tuned (hey, that rhymed)!  
> ~kitty22803


	3. Friends at First Sight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry and Iris have finally worked up the courage to talk to each other, but what happens next?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, readers! I'm back with another chapter! I'm so happy that people like the story, and I hope you enjoy this next chapter as well.  
> On with the show!

Barry couldn't wait to meet her again. Iris. He hadn't stopped thinking about her ever since she spilled a milkshake on him and they had shared another one together. It had felt so right, sitting there across from her in the booth and getting to know her.

Just then, someone interrupted his thoughts. "Hey, Barry, I need you to analyze this evidence for me. It's for that big case we got last week."

Barry turned around to see his favorite detective in the precinct, Joe West.

"Sure, Joe. Let me just finish this report, and I'll be right there."

Sure enough, less than five minutes later, he was headed down to where Joe's desk was. Then, he saw her.

 _What is she doing here?_ he thought,  _Maybe she's coming down here to interview someone._ _Yes, that must be it._ He began to walk up to her; she was at Joe's desk, but he thought nothing of it.

Joe noticed him and said, "Barry, good, you're done. Here's the evidence." He handed him a few evidence bags. "Also, this is my daughter, Iris."

Barry froze.  _Of course,_ he thought,  _West. It's the same last name. Damn it, Barry, couldn't you have fallen for someone who_ doesn't  _have a father with a gun?_

"Barry?" Iris asked. "What are you doing here?"

Joe seemed confused. "You two know each other?"

Barry shook his head to clear his thoughts. "Uh, yeah, we met at Big Belly Burger. She spilled a milkshake on my sweater." He smiled a little at the memory.

Joe nodded in understanding. "Alright, well, Barry, get that to me as soon as possible." He then smiled at Iris. "Bye, baby girl. See you later."

"Bye, Dad." Iris kissed his cheek. She started walking towards the elevator.

Barry quickly said, "Joe, I'll get this back to you soon. Bye!"

He rushed to Iris and tapped her on the shoulder, stopping her. She turned around.

"Hey, Barry. I didn't know you knew my dad."

"Uh, yeah, I guess it never came up." Barry fidgeted. "Look... I really liked talking to you the other day. Can we get some coffee together? Maybe get to know each other more?" He then added quickly, "As friends. Obviously."

She smiled. "I'd love that. I have some time left on my lunch break; you wanna go now?"

"Yeah!" Barry was ecstatic; he was jumping for joy on the inside. He followed her to the elevator and grinned at the other cops in it as he stepped inside.

* * *

Iris walked into Jitters feeling so happy; she had seen Barry at CCPD, and he had asked to get coffee. Yes, it was "as friends," but baby steps were important. As she was ordering her coffee, Barry waltzed through the door.

"Sorry, I had to go park my car," he told her.

She replied, "Oh, no, it's fine." She moved away from the counter. "Here, I'll let you order."

Barry quickly gave his order to the barista. Soon, they both had steaming cups of delicious coffee, and they went to Iris' usual table.

Iris felt very jumpy; she prayed that she wouldn't say anything stupid.

"So... what do you do at the CCPD?" she began.

"Oh, I'm a CSI for Joe. We've been working together for about half a year."

"Oh, wow. I'm surprised that hasn't come up until now."

"Yeah, I guess I just forgot."

Iris then decided to ask the big question: "So, anyone special in your life?"

Barry stuttered, "Uh... um... n-no, I'm not with a-anyone at the moment."

Was she imagining it, or was he nervous?

"You?" he asked.

"Oh, no. I'm just focusing on my career right now."  _Iris! You're so stupid!_  she thought, You're _not supposed to say that! He'll think you're not interested!_ Iris mentally slapped herself.

"Oh."

There was an awkward silence, and they sipped their coffee wordlessly.

Iris then interrupted the silence. "Um, well, my lunch break's up, so I have to get going."

"Oh, of course. Yeah." He looked around, unsure of what to say before he asked, "How about we meet one day? For a movie?"

"Yeah." Iris smiled. "I'd love that."

Before she could lose her nerve, she stood up on her toes and pecked his cheek, then rushed out the door.

* * *

Barry stared at the swinging door like an idiot as the girl who made him a bumbling idiot ran out, not even realizing what she had done to him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, chapter three is officially over! As you guys know, I was considering making Joe a lounge singer, but I decided that I liked him as a cop. (Sorry if you wanted something different.) Let me know what you think in the comments below; I will be replying. Until next time...  
> ~kitty22803


	4. It's a Date... Actually, Not Really

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry and Iris finally go to the movies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys! So, today's my birthday! (It's kind of sad that it's on April Fool's Day, but whatever.) I was feeling good about this chapter, so I decided to post it. Anyway, hope you like it!  
> On with the show!

Iris picked up her phone, contemplating whether she should call him. She was afraid it would seem needy, but somehow, she didn't he'd mind.

* * *

Barry wanted to talk to her. He wanted to see her face again, but he'd settle for a simple text. How would she react, though? Would she think he was too annoying? Too clingy?

* * *

Iris told herself for the hundredth time that day,  _No, Iris, you're not going to call him._

It wasn't very convincing.

* * *

Barry decided that he would be desperate. He texted her, saying,  _Hey, I wanted to follow up on that movie. Want to go see_ Black Panther _?_

* * *

Iris' phone vibrated, and she jumped. When she looked at it, butterflies erupted in her stomach. It was him.

* * *

Barry's phone made a little  _ding_ sound, and he looked down, hoping it was her. It was.  _Hey!_ Black Panther _sounds great! What time?_

 _Uh, how about 3:30 today?_  he replied.

He anxiously waited.

* * *

Iris was watching her phone without breaking eye contact when it lit up with another text from him.

 _Sounds great!_ she replied.

She waited.

* * *

She had replied. Barry was nervous to see her. He hoped he wouldn't mess up.

* * *

Iris frantically searched through her closet for a nice outfit to replace the flannel pajamas and t-shirt she was currently wearing.

* * *

Barry pulled out a nice button-down shirt from his closet to wear to the movies. Was it too much? Barry shook his head. He kept searching.

* * *

After an hour, Iris was finally ready. She had on a navy blouse with a skirt that made her legs look really good. Then, she quickly texted a picture to Linda, saying,  _How does this look?_

Linda replied less than a minute later,  _Damn, girl! You look good! Who is it?_

Iris blushed.  _It's that guy from the coffee shop. Barry._

_Finally!_

_Stop! We're going as friends._

_Okay... well, you look great. Go get your man._

* * *

Barry's outfit consisted of the shirt he had originally picked out and some jeans. Maybe he was over thinking this too much.

* * *

Iris fidgeted as she waited for him, not knowing what to do with her hands. Then, there was a knock on the door.

* * *

Barry walked up to her apartment door, almost scared to knock. Then, he lifted his hand and brought it to the wood.

* * *

Iris just about ran to the door in a hurry.

* * *

The door swung open, and Barry saw her. She was beautiful.

"Hey."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How was it? I decided to try something a little different this time. Let me know what you think in the comments below! Watch out for the next chapter, where I will continue this!  
> ~kitty22803


	5. Nervous

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is a continuation of the last chapter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, lovely people! Thanks for all the birthday wishes (I'm sorry, by the way, that I'm saying this more than a month after)! So, I've been getting a few complaints about my chapters being too short. I have noticed that, and I'm trying to make them longer, but it's hard to do because I'm not very good at writing really long pieces. I promise I'm going to try, but I can't guarantee it. Anyway, I hope you enjoy!  
> On with the show!

Iris opened the door and saw Barry. 

"Hey," he said, looking extremely nervous.

She blushed. He looked so cute with a button down and khakis.

"Uh, you ready to go?" he asked.

Iris took a deep breath before she answered, "Uh, sure, yeah." She nodded quickly.  _God, Iris, stop,_  she told herself.

He offered his arm, and she wrapped her fingers around it. She took a deep breath.  _I can do this,_  she thought.

* * *

Barry had never been this scared to go on a date before.

Sure, he had been nervous before. He almost smashed a table during prom night. Before this, though, Barry had never experienced so much panic all at once.

He took a deep breath.  _Don't be stupid, stupid. Just push through it,_  he thought to himself.

He smiled down at Iris, taking in her baby blue blouse and really flattering skirt.

"You look great."

She blushed a little. "Thank you."

"So, we're watching Black Panther today, right?"

"Yep, I've already bought my tickets on Fandango and everything."

He laughed. "I guess I'll just buy mine at the window."

* * *

"Thanks," Iris said to the cashier as she took her popcorn.

She was excited to see the movie, but, more than anything, she wanted to talk to Barry.

She then saw Barry at the entrance of the theater and walked over.

"You bought the ticket?"

"Yep, it's all good to go." He grinned.

"I got us some popcorn, by the way. I hope you like buttery popcorn."

He smiled before saying, "Shall we go?" He waved his arm jokingly, as if he was a prince asking a princess to dance.

She giggled and nodded.

* * *

Iris' hair smelled so good, and Barry had to resist the urge to lean over and smell it.

 _Barry, stop. Don't be a creep,_  he told himself.

She looked over and smiled, then stuffed some popcorn into her mouth.

He had to stifle a laugh. Wow, she was cute.

* * *

The movie was over. It was great, but Iris had to concentrate  _really_ hard to cuddle up to Barry during it. He looked so warm and fuzzy, and she had to tell herself repeatedly to shut up.

"Uh, so, that was pretty great," he interrupted.

"Yeah, I loved it so much, especially Michael B. Jordan."

"Really?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Definitely. He was the best part. I mean, that character was so complex. And he looked  _so_ good," she teased, smirked.

Barry rolled his eyes, then smiled.

Then, Iris remembered something: she needed to submit an article to her boss by the evening.

"Oh my god, I have to go! I have a deadline tonight!" She lightly patted his shoulder before saying, "I really loved this, Barry; we should totally do it again! Text me!"

She rushed off, not even giving him a chance to reply.

* * *

Barry felt a little confused. Was this a way of saying she didn't like the date, or did she actually have something?

 _Dude, stop. Even if she doesn't like you like that, she still seemed to have fun. Chill out,_ he thought.

He pushed away the doubt and took a deep breath. It was fine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The big date (not a date) is finally over! What did you think? Let me know in the comments below! Also, I'm so sorry about not updating sooner; I've been really busy with exams coming up and everything. One last thing: I know Black Panther came out a while ago, but I wrote the last chapter before Avengers: Infinity War came out, and I didn't want to change it (by the way, watch the new Avengers movie! It'll make you cry, but it's totally worth it). Anyway, until next time...  
> ~kitty22803


	6. Too Late

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone new comes into Iris' life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, my people! Summer vacation just started, so I have a lot of free time on my hands now. Hopefully, I'll be able to write a lot more now that I have nothing to do. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter, and make sure to let me know how it is (and if there are any mistakes)!  
> On with the show!

Iris was working on yet another dissertation. She hated those things, but those were the kind of things she did for the job she wanted. She sighed.

 _I wonder if Dad would mind if I dropped out._ She shook her head.  _No, Iris. You cannot drop out. Think about rent. Besides, you totally couldn't afford coffee. Now where would you be without coffee?_ She shuddered at the thought.

No matter how much she hated it, she had to go through with her five-year-plan. However, she didn't think it would hurt to go grab one of those heavenly blueberry muffins from Jitters... maybe coffee too.

 _Wow, the obsession is real,_ she thought. She shrugged. It's not like coffee was going to kill her or anything.

She slammed her laptop closed and stuffed it into her bag before getting up from her crappy dining table (that resided in her equally crappy studio apartment). She'd work after she got her muffin.

* * *

"Hey, Joe, here's my report for the new case. Do you need anything else from me?" Barry asked.  _Please, don't give me anything else to do,_ he pleaded silently.

Barry was so tired. He'd stayed up until five in the morning watching old sitcoms and trying to figure out whether Iris liked him or not. It was truly such a eighth grader thing to do, but he couldn't help it; he was panicking a little.

"Nah, Barry, I'm good. You can go home. You look  _exhausted,_ _"_ Joe pointed out.

Apparently Barry wasn't so good at hiding his feelings on his face when he was half-dead.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you  _so_ much, Joe."

Barry was so grateful he gave the detective a big hug before sprinting to the elevator before Joe could change his mind.

The time flew by, and before he knew it, he was curled up in his memory foam bed, and he drifted off to sleep.

* * *

"Hi, Kendra. How are you?" Iris asked the barista as she searched for the blueberry muffins.

"I'm doing okay, Iris. I'm a little tired, though. Med school is a bitch," Kendra answered.

Iris winced at the thought of going through a minimum of ten years of school. Suddenly, she had ten times more respect for the woman.

"Wow, I would  _never_ be able to handle med school. How do you do it?"

Kendra laughed before replying, "I guess if you love something, it doesn't seem too bad."

Iris nodded; that made sense.

"Oh, right. Um, can I get a blueberry muffin?" she asked before she forgot.

Kendra nodded before grabbing the sweet treat and setting it on the counter. "Here you go!"

Iris paid her quickly and waved goodbye as she headed out the door. As she turned around, she collided into something.

* * *

Barry jolted awake to the sound of his alarm. The angry beeping of it was enough to get him out of bed and into the bathroom. He quickly brushed his teeth and hopped into the shower.

Barry was feeling a lot more rejuvenated after sleeping for a solid fifteen hours. He hadn't even had  _time_ to think about Iris. Barry winced.

 _Not again. Stop, Barry,_ he told himself in order to clear his head of his little crush. Wow, he was _really_ in eighth grade.

After pulling on some jeans and a sweater, he grabbed his bag and rushed out the door. He wanted to get to Jitters on time to see her.

 _What? If I can't stop thinking about her, I might as well do something about it,_ he justified.

Before he knew it, Barry was inside Jitters, and the heavenly smell of coffee filled his nostrils. He walked up to the counter and greeted Kendra.

"Hey, Kendra. You look tired. Med school catching up to you?"

Kendra chuckled and told him, "Yeah, a little. It's pretty fun, though, once you get past the amount of school and the amount of work."

"Yeah, I guess. Good luck getting through that."

Kendra rolled her eyes fondly. "The usual?"

Barry nodded and pulled out his wallet to pay. His coffee was set down, and he grabbed it. As he turned to walk out the door, he heard a melodious laugh. Why was it so familiar?

Barry turned to look at who the source was, and his eyes widened.

"Barry! Nice seeing you! Come over and meet my new friend!" Iris called.

* * *

Iris was having coffee with a hot guy. A hot guy named Eddie, specifically. She had met Eddie the day before; she had ran into him as she was heading out.

After she smeared her poor blueberry muffin across his crisp button-down shirt, she had apologized profusely. However, instead of getting angry, he had laughed. God, he had a nice laugh.

He then offered to buy her a new one. "In exchange for a date, of course," he had teased, winking at Iris, making her cheeks flush. Those muffins  _were_ good.

 _Girl, what about Barry?_ she scolded herself. Then, she thought,  _Eh, he only thinks of me as a friend._ She ignored her internal monologue.

She smirked in the direction of Eddie and let him buy her another muffin; afterwards, she quickly scribbled her number on a napkin and slipped it into his hand shyly.

That night, she got a text from him asking her to have coffee with him the next day.

So, here she was, sipping coffee with a hot guy like it was a totally normal thing to do.

"So, Iris, what do you do for a living?" Eddie asked.

"Oh, uh, I'm actually in school to become a journalist, and I'm currently interning at CCPN  **(A/N: Central City Picture News)**."

"Wow, that's pretty cool."

She blushed. "What do you do?"

He paused before answering, "Um, I work for the ASPCA."

Her eyes widened. "Wow, that's so amazing! I wish  _I_ could work for the ASPCA."

He laughed. "I could take you to volunteer...?" he offered.

"Um, wow, yeah, I would love that! I  _love_ animals."

He smiled, his eyes sparkling. "Well, I'm sure I could set up a day for you. When are you available?"

"Uh, let me think." Iris stared at a wall and tried to remember her schedule.

"Does that wall have your calendar on it?" Eddie joked.

She laughed and jokingly slapped his arm.

The bell near the door rang, and... it was Barry.

She called, "Barry! Nice seeing you! Come over and meet my new..." she hesitated before continuing, "friend!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Of course I did that! Although Eddie will most definitely get out of the picture eventually, he'll stay here for a bit. I'm very evil, and I love torturing you guys like this; it's great. Also, I'm so sorry about taking so long! I was out of town the first week of summer, and then I forgot to update, and now it's only a few weeks away from school. (Yes, I wrote the first author's note almost two months ago. Oops.) I'll try to update as soon as possible. Until next time...  
> ~kitty22803


	7. Jealous

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry feels something he's never felt before this moment: jealousy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, people! I'm back with another chapter! I hope you enjoyed the last one. This one's going to mostly be in Barry's point of view, and it's just a follow-up of the previous chapter.  
> On with the show!

Barry was shocked. Iris was at Jitters, but she wasn't at her regular table. No, she was at the small center table with... a  _guy_. Who was that?

Iris interrupted his thoughts. "Barry, meet Eddie. Eddie, this is my friend Barry." Barry's heart sank at the word _friend_.

He waved meekly before replying, "Hey, Eddie. What're you two up to?"

Iris smiled softly at the guy-- no, Eddie-- before replying, "He asked me out yesterday after I accidentally dropped my muffin. It was quite a meet-cute."

Barry faked a smile. "That's... nice." Then he realized something. "Oh! You guys are on a date right now? Oh, god, sorry. I-I'll leave," he stammered, eager to get away.

Eddie then stopped him. "No, stay. I'd like to talk to you. It seems like you and Iris are pretty close."

Barry tried one last time to get out of this situation. "Uh, actually, we've only known each other for a few weeks."

"No way! You guys seem like you've known each other for a while. Come. Sit down. Tell me your story."

Barry reluctantly pulled out a chair and sat down, sending an apologetic glance toward Iris.

She just shook her head and rolled her eyes with a smile, as if to tell him,  _I know it's weird, but it's fine. He's completely harmless._

"So, Barry, what do you do?"

"Uh, I'm a CSI for CCPD."

"That sounds pretty cool. You know, my dad was a cop. A pretty good one, too. I wanted to go into that field for a while, but then my dad died."

 _No wonder he's interrogative. Maybe I'll call him Detective. Detective Pretty Boy,_ he thought to himself before replying, "Oh. I'm sorry."

"No, it's fine. It happened a long time ago."

Just then, Iris' hands came up to hold Eddie's, and Barry held back his jealousy.

"I'm sorry, Eddie. I didn't know," she breathed. "You know, my dad's a cop too. I'm always so scared something's going to happen to him some day."

 _Great,_ Barry thought,  _one more thing that Iris and Eddie have in common._ He knew it was insensitive to think like that, but he couldn't help but be a little resentful toward the man who had kept him from declaring his feelings for Iris.  _I hate Detective Pretty Boy,_ he declared to himself.

Barry kept on mindlessly answering Eddie's question until he got a life-saving call from Joe. He was calling to berate Barry for being late to yet another crime scene. However, he didn't care at all that Joe was yelling at him. At least he had an excuse to leave this... whatever it was.

He smiled apologetically before saying, "Sorry, guys, I have to go. Joe just called; I have to go to a crime scene. See you guys!"

He rushed out the door before they could answer.

* * *

Iris stared at the back of Barry's head as he hurriedly got up and ran to the exit of Jitters.

 _Could he..._ _could he be jealous of Eddie and me?_ she thought for a split second. Then she shook her head. There was no way.

She smiled at the man in front of her and pretended the thought hadn't even crossed her mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How was it? I'm sorry if it was too short, but I just can't help it. Anyway, this may be the last chapter for a while unless I'm super productive because I've been procrastinating on my summer work, and school is in less than two weeks. Hopefully I'll be able to write a little bit more before school starts, though. Here's to hoping! See you guys next time!  
> ~kitty22803


	8. Replacement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry meets a new CSI, Patty Spivot, during work one day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys! I know it's been a long, long, long time since I updated, and I'm really sorry about that, but with school and everything, life's been kind of busy. Also, I've had the biggest writer's block ever, and I figured it would be better to write it now while I have this in my head, so here I am. Enjoy!  
> On with the show!

Barry couldn't stop thinking, and it was horrible. He rolled over in his bed and slammed a pillow over his face, resisting the urge to scream. Of  _course,_ Iris had a boyfriend, or whatever Detective Pretty Boy was to her. Clearly, he'd wasted his time, and now he was stuck with these... things... feelings?

Barry tapped his phone to check the time, which displayed  _2:30 am_. He groaned and got out of bed. There was no use trying to sleep; at least he'd be able to catch up on _Game of Thrones_ before the last season came out.

He dragged his feet to the living room and plopped down on the coach. It was quite obvious he was still in the moping stage. He reached across and grabbed his Xfinity remote, switching on HBO. He scrolled through until he found  _Game of Thrones._ He got comfortable, draping a fluffy throw blanket over himself before clicking on an episode.

* * *

Barry had binge-watched the remaining episodes of  _Game of Thrones_ , and he didn't know how to occupy himself anymore. He glanced over at the clock on the side table; it read  _6:48 am_.

 _Wow,_ he thought to himself,  _I must be really sad if I'm bingeing_ Game of Thrones _this late at night._ He paused.  _Or is it this early in the morning?_ Barry shook his head. He had stayed up too long, and now he was sleep-deprived. He sighed and pushed himself off the couch, dragging his feet all the way to his bedroom. He dropped into his bed and was sound asleep in seconds.

* * *

"Barry? Hey, Barry!" Joe yelled.

Barry shook his head and blinked rapidly. "Huh? What's happening?"

Joe chided him, "Barry, you have to pay attention, son. What's going on?"

"Uh, nothing, I just accidentally binged  _Game of Thrones_ and only slept for an hour."

Joe laughed and shook his head. "Alright, well, maybe you should keep the bingeing aside for the weekends."

Barry nodded sadly, regretting his life decisions.

"Anyway," Joe continued, "there's a new CSI recruit. I'd like you to train her. Her name's Patty Spivot. Here's her resumé. You'll find that she's quite accomplished."

"Alright, Joe," Barry agreed, taking the thin manila folder, "I'll look over it. Is she in the lab?"

Joe nodded and gave Barry a thumbs up. "Now, go be a good boss."

Barry grinned and ran up the stairs to the lab.

* * *

"Um, hello, Patty Spivot?" Barry said, uncertainty in his voice.

A woman with wavy blond hair turned around. She smiled wide and stuck out her hand. "Hi! You must be Mr. Allen, my new boss. Joe told me you'd be training me today."

Barry nodded his head. "Please, call me Barry. I don't know about anyone else here at CCPD, but in this lab, there's no need for formalities." He grinned at her and waved her over to the two adjacent desks. "This is where we'll work and where our equipment is. Joe usually sends up a case or two every week, so I'll show you how to properly find evidence and whatnot."

Patty nodded eagerly in excitement. "I'm so excited to work with CCPD. I'm really looking forward to it," she said, and she practically jumped into her chair, surveying everything with a look of impatience. "What are we working on?"

Barry laughed. "Whoa, there. Before we do anything, we have to go through protocols and procedures.  _Then,_ we can get to the fun stuff."

* * *

Barry liked Patty. She was kind, he had never met someone so excited about her job. Honestly, while working with her, he hadn't thought about Iris even once. They both had so much in common, and, before they knew it, they were talking for hours and didn't realize the time until late at night.

Maybe there was hope for his love life, after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally finished this chapter! How was it? I'm sorry I haven't been updating, but ever since I've actually had to do stuff I haven't had much time. Thankfully, though, I had a small gap where I could actually write this because it was my spring break (still, it's a few weeks after break now, oops). Also, today's my birthday, and I thought in honor of that I should give back to you after putting you through this for almost a whole school year (sorry).  
> So, did you guys like Patty as a CSI instead of a cop? I remember she said she always wanted to be one, so I thought that's what I'd do. Please comment and recommend if you liked it. Love you guys!  
> ~kitty22803


End file.
